Saturday, May 4, 2013

Hujr Ibne Adii

Before demolition

"Hujr ibn Adii Al Kindi [ra] was a pious companion of the Prophet (saws) and played a vital role in the correction of the Ummah. During Muawiyah's reign when the custom of cursing Imam Ali (a.s.) {the best companion and son-in-law of Prophet Mohammad (s.a.)} from the pulpit's of Mosques began, hearts of the Muslims were being bled dry but people bit their tongues fearing death. In Kufa Hujr ibn Adi could not remain silent and he began to praise Ali (a.s) and condemn Muawiyah.
Until Mughaira remained the Governor of Kufa, he adopted a lenient attitude towards this, but when Ziyad's Governorship of Basra was extended to include Kufa, serious altercations arose. He would curse Ali (a.s) during the khutbah and Hujar would refute him.
On one occasion he (Hujr) warned Ziyad for being late for Friday prayers. Ziyad then arrested him along with twelve of his companions on false accusations of forming an opposition group to overthrow the Khalifa and was cursing the Khalifa. He also gathered witnesses to testify against them alleging that they claimed that khilafat was the exclusive right of the lineage of `Ali ibne Abi Talib and further accused them of creating an uproar, throwing out the commander and of supporting `Abu Turab Ali, of sending blessings upon him and hating his enemies. From amongst these witnesses, Qadi Shudhri's testimony was used. He later wrote to Muawiyah that the blood and property of people who said they offered Salaah, paid zakaat, and performed Hajj and Umrah, preached right and declared that evil was haram, however if you want to kill them so be it, otherwise forgive them.
The accused were sent to Muawiyah and he sentenced them to death. A condition was placed that if they cursed `Ali (a.s) and showed their hatred to him they would be pardoned. They refused and Hujr ibn Adii said `I will not say that thing that will displease Allah'.
Finally Hujr ibn Adii, his son Humaan ibn Hujar and his seven companions were murdered. From amongst them Abdur Rahman bin Hasan was sent back to return with a written instruction that he be murdered in the worst possible manner, Ziyad buried him alive."-Sunni scholar Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi in his book Caliphs and Kings (Khilafat-o-Mulookiyat).